Life-preserver



(No Model.)

Y M. OHARA.

LIFE PRESBRVER.

No. 496,697. Patented May 2, 1893.

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- UNITED STATES" PATENT QFFICE.

MICHAEL OHARA, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

LlFE-PRESERVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,697, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed June 18, 1892. Serial No. 437,151- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL OHARA, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Life-Preserver, of which the following is a full,.clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in life preservers; and the object of my in vention is to produce a simple, convenient, and efficient life preserver which may be made in the form of agarment, such as a vest orblouse for a man or a corset forawoman, which may be instantly put on in the same Way that a garment would be applied to the person, which is light and comfortable to the wearer, and which is provided with convenient means for carrying solid and liquid refreshments, so that a person cast away by flood or shipwreck may keep alive and comfortable for a number of days, or until rescued or washed ashore.

To this end my invention consists in a life preserver, the construction of which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding-parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the life preserver as applied to a man. Fig. 2 is a sec tional plan of the preserver on the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section of one of the provision boxes and the adjacent portion of the life preserver.

The life preserver 10, is made in the form of a garment, as above remarked, and it is composed of two or more layers of fabric 11, which may be of any kind having the necessary strength, and if desired, the fabric may be made waterproof. The garment is provided with shoulder straps 12, at the top with a front opening 13, which enables it to be quickly put on and with suitable fastening devices 14, adapted to fasten the front edges together. The garment is provided with a plurality of hollow tubes 15 and 16, these being of any desired cross section, and they are made perfectly air and water tight and are preferably made of light sheet metal such as tin or aluminum. The vertical tubes 15 are arranged at the upper and lower portions of the garment and are fastened securely between the layers of the same, and the tubes 16 extend horizontally around the sides of the garment and between the upper and lower groups of vertical tubes, a space 17 being left between the rear ends of the tubes 16 and opposite the central back portion of the garment, so that the garment may be as flexible and as easily put on as any ordinary coat. It will be understood that the tubes 15 may run the entire length of the garment, and the tubes 16 be dispensed with or a greater number of tubes 16 may be used and the tubes 15 be dispensed with, and that the tubes may be made to run in any direction without changing or departing from the principle of the invention.

On the breasts of the garment or life preserver are water tight boxes 18 which have swinging lids 19 at the top, and these are adapted to hold refreshments; for instance, liquid refreshments such as water, beer, or wine, may be placed in one box, and solid refreshments, such as pemmican or biscuit in the other.

The garment is held down and prevented from rising over the persons head, or rather the person is prevented from dropping down through the garment or'life preserver, by chains 20 which are secured by means of snap hooks to light rings 21, near thebottom of the garment, and on the front and back sides, the chains being passed between the legs of the wearer.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that this life preserver or garment may be put on as quickly and easily as an ordinary coat, and the air tubes carried by it will keep a person afloat, while the boxes will carry provisions enough to'keep a person alive for a considerable period.

The garment or life preserver is made light enough so that if desired an overcoat maybe worn over it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. As an improved article of manufacture mediate horizontally arranged curved tubes 16, spaced apart at the back of the body as shown at 17 to permit the body to open and close, and the boXes18, 18 on the breast portions of the body and provided with lids, substantially as set forth.

MICHAEL OI-IARA.

WVitnesses:

W. P. MORELAND, W. P. T. J OPE. 

